Magnetic car retarder



Oct. 1, 1929.. Q o. A. ROSS 1,730,334

MAGNETIC CAR RETARDER Filed Jan. 7,- 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l g? I'NVENTOR M @Ma/ M !A RNEY Oct. 1, 1929. o. A. ROSS MAGNETIC CAR RETARDER Filed Jan. 7. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR "ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 1, 1929 OSCAR A. Ross, or NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T GENERAL RAILWAY SIGNAL COM PA'NY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK MAGNETIC OAR RETARDER Continuation of application Serial No. 245,141, filed January 7, 1928.

' 7, 1928. Serial NO. 245,143.

This invention refers to car retarders and more particularly to the class termed magnetic car retards/rs? as disclosed in my copending. application for Letters Patent Serial NO.f-2t5,1ll,' filed January 7, 19:28, and of which this application for Letters Patent forms a continuating application.

The prime object of this invention is to produce car retarding mechanism for retarding 0 the movement of freight cars or similar vehicles wherein magnetic flux is employed as the medium, or agent for causing certain track instrumentalities to co-act with certain parts of said cars to effect said retardation. 1 'Another object is to produce magnetlc car retarding mechanism for retarding the move.- ment of freight cars, or similar vehicles, wherein the magnetic flux is generated in a path comprising trackinstrumentalities and is completedby passage of saidflux through a path formed by the peripheral section of the car Wheels and the-track rail in this manner providing a substantially short foreign flux path whereby more efficient magnetic -braking may be obtained.

. Another object is to produce mechanism of the kind hereintofore described wherein a minimum number of movable parts are 6X- posed to the elements, and whereby for con- 7 tinuous operation of said mechanism, a minimum of manual labor will be required for the removalof snow, sleet or me if present.

Another object 1s to furnish a mechanism of the kind hereintofore described wherein ment of the structure preventing substantial magnetic flux leakage when and as said flux is rendered effective to cause magnetic braking. I p p 7 Other objects'and advantages wlll appear as the description of the invention progresses, and the novel features of the invention Wlll be pointed out in the appended claims.

This invention consist-s in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, delineated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out 'in that portion of the instrument wherein patentable noveltyv is claimed for certain and This application filed .Tanuary peculiar features of the invention,'it beingv understood that, within thescope of what hereinafter thus is claimed, divers changes in the forms, proportions, size and minor details of the device may be-made without de-; parting from the spirit of, or sacrificing any of the details of the invention. 1 I i In describing the invention in detail, refer ence is had to the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated embodiments of my invention, and wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of an electromagnetic car retarder embodying the present invention in connection with which a carwheel and axle have been shown in elevation, the sectional elevation being taken on the lineII of Fig. 3 ofthe'drawings. as viewed in the direction-of the arrows:

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the electro-mag- 'netic car retarder shown in Fig. l with the cover removed making it a sectional elevation taken on the hue II-II of Fig. 3, as viewed in the dlrectlon of the arrow; A

Fig. 3 is aplan view of the same car retarder with the car wheel and axle omitted and as viewed from'the line IIIIII of Fig.

'1 in the direction ofthe-arrows; and,

Fig. 4 is a plan elevation ofthe car retarder with a portlon thereof shown in cross-section along the line IVIV of Fig. 2 as viewed in r the directionoft-he arrows.

Referringto Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the magnetism generating unit 1, hereinafter termed magnetic braking unit, comprises housing 2, of ferric material, the inner shell portion 3 of which is suitably bolted to the outer shell portion 4, as by bolts 9, each having a cover, as 5, secured by-bolts, as 6. Said inner and outer shell portions having terminating elements 7 '7, adapted to enter between the ball and 'ba'se of rail 8and impinge thereon, bolts 9 and'nuts 1O acting to clamp, said sections onto said rail, as well asp'artially secure said inner and outer shells together.

Mounted on non-ferric material pin 11,

passing through orfices 1212 of inner, shell 3 are magnetic vokes 13 13, one end of each of which is bolted to the lower end of fixed core 14 by bolts 22, said fixed core 14 having wound thereon a magnetic coil 15, the upper end 16 of this fixed core 14 is T shaped to provide a large area of contact for abutment against the under face 17 of rail 8, in this manner assisting in. conducting the magnetic flux from said core to rail 8, spring 18, the lower end of which is adjustably seated in lever 19, pivoted on knife edge 20 and adjusted by screw 21, acting to restrain core 14 and therefore T head 16 against said lower rail face 17.

Pivotally secured to and interposed between the other end of magnetic yokes l313 is the lower end 23 of magnetic link, or bar 24 to the upper end 25 of which are pivoted lugs 2626 formed as a part of friction bar 27, pin 28 acting to secure said bar and lugs together in hinge-d relation.

Friction bar 27 has a frictioned braking face 29, arranged to impinge on the inner face 30 of car wheel 31 of known form and adapt ed to move over rail 8.

Magnetic link, or bar 24 has a face 33 within housing 2.

Housing 2 also comprises lugs 4040 secured to ties 3939 by bolts 4141, to which are also suitably secured the rails, as 8, only one being shown.

The upper end 25 of link or bar 24-is restrained inwardly by spring 42, one end of which is adjustably secured in adjusting nut 43 and the other end of which impinges on said link, or bar, in this manner normally causingface 33 of said bar to impinge on stop face 32 when no wheel as 31 is present on rail 8. The function of spring 42 is merely to cause initial contact of friction bar 27 with one, or more wheels as 31, as said wheels move over the rails, as 8.

Friction braking bars 2727 are suitably "guided by steering plates as'4545 secured to tie 39-39 by bolts or lags 4646 more fully described in my co-pending application for Letters Patent Serial No. 245,141 filed January 7, 1928, Fig. 4, showing one of said steering plates employed in connection uwith said bars of two magnetic braking units as 11, and Fig. 3 showing two of said steermagnetic braking units as 1, may be employed in connection therewith as more fully disclosed in the aforesaid co-pending application for Letters Patent. 4

The operation is as follows :Electrical energy is supplied to coil 15, as more fully described in the aforesaid co-pending application for Letters Patent, and assuming that a car wheel, as 31 is present on rail 8, a magnetic flux is generated in a path indicated by the several arrows, (see Fig. 1). Said path comprising core 14, magnetic yokes 13-13, magnetic link, or bar 24 and its extension 25, pin 28, lugs 2626 and thence to bar 27 from whence it passes from face 29 thereof to face 30 of Wheel 31, thence through the peripheral section of said wheel to the ball of rail 8 and thence in multiple path through the web and base of said rail and mating sections 77 to the T head 16 and thence returning to core 14. It is to be noted from the foregoing description that a complete ferric magnetic circuit including a portion of wheel 31 and rail 8 has been formed without an air gap,

in this manner producing a comparativelylarge magnetic flux in said path whereby, and as said wheel revolves on said rail, the friction faces 29 and 30 are caused to be rubbed one against the other to produce a braking effect, much in the same manner as if a brake shoe of known form were impinged on the periphery of said wheel by an air brake in known manner.

WVhereas and when the electric circuit to the coils as 1515 is opened a substantial residual magnetism obtains, said residual magnetism is dispersed by the continued movement of one or more of the Wheels, as 31 and therefore the magnetic braking ceases substantially simultaneously with the opening of said electric circuit.

7 It is obvious that the friction bars 27-27 may be made of substantial length and that a number of magnetic braking units as 1 may be associated therewith for the purpose of establishing a car retarding zone as more fully described in the aforesaid co-pen-ding application for Letters Patent.

It is to be noted that the friction brake bar 27 is arranged in a plane above the top of rail 8, in this manner permitting friction face 29 of said bar to engage a larger area of friction face 30 of wheel 31, than if said bar were arranged in a plane not higherthan the top of said rail.

Vhat I claim is 1. In combination with a trackway and a vehicle, the wheelsof which are adapted to travel thereon, a friction brake shoe composed of magnetic material arranged adjacent a rail'of the trackway and adapted.

to frictionally engage with a face of'one or more of the wheels, and retard the movement of the vehicle, a magnetone pole of which is arranged to form a magnetic flux path into the rail and a magnetic'yoke connecting theother pole of the magnet and the brake shoe whereby a complete magnetic flux path is formed through the shoe, the wheel, the rail, the magnet and the yoke, and means for inducin magnetic flux in the path.

2. car retarder of the electro-magnetic type comprising; a track rail of magnetic material; a car wheel of magnetic material movable over said track rail; a core projecting downwardly from said track; a coil surrounding said core; a brake shoe disposed along the side and extending above the top of said rail; and a member magnetically connected to the lower end of said core and said brake shoe; whereby if said coil is energized said brake shoe is magnetically held against said car wheel by reason of magnetic flux passing through said member, said brake shoe, said car wheel, said track rail and said core in series.

3. A car reta-rder of the electro-magnetic type comprising; a track rail of magnetic material; a car wheel of magnetic material movable over said track rail; a core projecting downwardly from said track rail; a coil surrounding said core; a brake shoe; and a member magnetically connected to the lower end of said core and said brake shoe and extending around said coil; whereby if said coil is energized said brake shoe is magnetically held against said car wheel by reason of magnetic flux passing through said member, said brake shoe, said car wheel, said track rail and said core in series; and a housing of non-magnetic material for housing said core and coil.

4. A car retarder of the electro-magnetic type comprising; a track rail of magnetic material; a car wheel of magnetic material movable over said track rail; a core projecting downwardly from said track rail; a coil surrounding said core; and a member magnetically connected to the lower end of said core extending around said coil and having a brake shoe engaging said wheel; whereby if said coil is energized said brake shoe is magnetically held against said car wheel by reason of magnetic flux passing through said car wheel, said track rail and said core in series, a housing of non-magnetic material for housing said core and coil; and

spring means for urging said brake shoe towards said car wheel.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this fit? teenth day of December, A. D. 1927.

OSCAR A. ROSS. 

